WSL: Chelsea come from behind to defeat Brighton thanks to a hat-trick from Sjoeke Nusken

Chelsea midfielder Sjoeke Nusken scored three goals and set up another as the champions rallied from a goal down to defeat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 on Sunday and move up to second place in the Women's Super League.

The reigning WSL champions got off to a fast start, with Fran Kirby hitting the crossbar after only six minutes. They fell behind in the 10th minute, however, when club captain Millie Bright failed to track the run of Pauline Bremer, who slid in a low cross from close range.

From then on, the Brighton goal was under siege, with Seagulls goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley making some incredible saves. One of those came in the 37th minute, when Chelsea hit the crossbar again while also having an effort cleared off the line. The Blues' relentless pressure paid off in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, when Nusken headed home Jess Carter's whipped delivery.

The Germany international midfielder then turned the tie on its head seven minutes into the second half, much to the relief of the Kingsmeadow crowd, by collecting a square pass while bursting through the middle and producing a composed finish when presented with a clear sight of goal.

Brighton had chances, with Chelsea unable to keep the back door completely shut before Elisabeth Terland scored late on, but the points were sealed 16 minutes from time when Nusken finished off a driven cross from Sam Kerr. In the 82nd minute, the German turned provider, setting up substitute Aggie Beever-Jones for the Blues' fourth goal.

SportsLigue